Rookie Fireman
Cast & Crew
Seymour Friedman
Bill Williams
Barton Maclane
Marjorie Reynolds
Gloria Henry
Richard Quine
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Among a group of prospective firemen are Johnny Truitt, who is in debt with a pregnant wife, and Joe Blake, a former Merchant Marine, who intends to return to sea when the current dock strike ends. After six weeks of strict training, Joe and Johnny are assigned to the station headed by Captain Mack Connors. As probationers, they are assigned the menial tasks. While Johnny cleans up the station, Joe is delegated to pick up lunch for the other men and takes the opportunity to flirt with the attractive cashier, Peggy Walters. Harry Williams, another fireman, is jealous of his wife Margie and calls home several times a day. Before she married Harry, Margie dated fire engineer Jess Henshaw and having decided to divorce Harry, now proposes that she and Jess get back together. Jess, however, tries to talk her out of a divorce and advises her to be more supportive of Harry. A big celebration is planned for Connors' last night before retirement, but the party is interrupted by an alarm, and Connors is killed fighting a raging fire in a paint factory. Jess is appointed to the captain's position. Unlike the easy-going Connors, Jess drills the men regularly and strictly enforces the rules against drinking and gambling on the job. Meanwhile, Joe becomes interested in Peggy after she pretends that she does not want to settle down. Harry's troubled marriage drives him to drink, and Jess warns him that he has only one more chance to pull himself together. One day, Johnny is severely chastised when he takes his wife to the hospital and is late reporting to work. Then, despite orders against gambling, Johnny, who desperately needs money, and fellow fireman Al Greco bet on a card game. Joe, who is observing, claims that Greco was cheating, and the two men fight. Jess dismisses frequent wrongdoer Greco and promotes Harry to his job of engineer. Jess then impresses on Joe and Johnny how important the job of fireman is to him. After fighting with Joe to demonstrate who is boss, Jess pays Johnny's debts and advises him to get future loans from the Fireman's Fund. Jess meets with Margie to tell her about Harry's promotion and advises her to congratulate him when he comes home. A bitter Greco witnesses the meeting and summons Harry. He hints that Harry should get even with Jess in the line of duty. After Joe learns that the dock strike has ended, he hands in his resignation and tells Peggy that he is shipping out. When a fire alarm goes off, however, Joe joins the crew, even though it means that he will miss his ship. Johnny has just learned that his wife is in labor, but he too chooses to fight the fire. At the fire, Harry accuses Jess of being involved with Margie, and as they argue, a beam collapses on them. Joe and Johnny save the men. Later, Margie visits Jess in the hospital and apologizes, saying that she has changed her ways. Johnny's wife gives birth, and Peggy and Joe plan their marriage.
Director
Seymour Friedman
Cast
Bill Williams
Barton Maclane
Marjorie Reynolds
Gloria Henry
Richard Quine
John Ridgely
Richard Benedict
Cliff Clark
Barry Brooks
George Eldredge
Gaylord Pendleton
Frank Sully
Ted Jordan
Charles Lane
Marjorie Stapp
Crew
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The film's working title was Firefighters.
